I'm about to pull my hair out!! This really hasn't been a problem until a month or two ago, but I'm not doing this anymore!

How do you keep up with assignments that your students turn in? I have trays for every subject on a table, and the students put their work in the appropriate tray. However, I'm sick and tired of grading a stack of papers only to find "holes" in my gradebook...missing assignments from a handful of students. I'm tired of tracking down the students, asking them about it, and making new copies. I haven't yet found time to sort through the papers until my break period (not until the end of the day). Any suggestions?

Also, what do you do about slow workers? One of the issues is that two of my students work at a very slow pace. It takes them so long to complete an assignment that they're constantly behind. I feel bad for them, but I also need grades for them. I really appreciate any and all advice! Have a fantastic Thursday

I have the same problem. It is very hard to keep track of assignments. I try to grade everything that the students turn in the day it is turned in. Sometimes that is not possible. On those days, I make sure I write down the names of students who didn't turn in an assignment. I keep a list saved on my computer of studetns who owe me work. I update it pretty consistently so that I can see who owes me what. I can easily ask them during work time or the beginning of class if they have their work. I also have lunch detention days where they have to eat lunch and work during their recess to get caught up. A suggestion for the slow workers would be to modify the assignments. I have found that difficult for me to do if they don't have an IEP. However, if they are slow workers, I still want them to give me an idea if they understand the concepts that I am teaching. Even for some of my IEP students, I have them give me their answers orally to save time.

I use baskets for each subject as well. I have one kid go through the basket towards the end of the day and check off who has it. If someone doesn't have it, then that child goes and asks them for it. Those that don't finish, I give a verbal reminder and then they are responsible for getting it back to me.

Trust me...I still get holes in my gradebook, but it is usually from the same two or three. Much easier to track.

Then I attach the checklist to my stack and then when I grade it I can see at a glance who has it and who doesn't. If they are absent, I mark A by their names.

I use my checklist from everything to returning report cards to collecting field trip $$$. I can always tell in second who is missing it.

My kids are third graders. I have several girls that are very dependable about getting things checked off for me.

At the beginning of the year, I go down the roster and give each student a number: 1 to whatever (this year it's 23). They put the number in the top right corner so that I can quickly sort assignments. I can jot down who is missing their paper on a sticky note and put it on top.

Another idea for homework is to create a homework folder. I take two pocket folders (w/o clips) and comb-bind them together to get four pockets (although you can easily add more). Each pocket is labeled with the subject: Math, Reading, Spelling, and Communication (for notes, etc to parents and back). Each morning, the kids turn in their folders and I can flip through to see if they've done their work. Each folder takes 10-15 seconds, a little longer if I have to write down a missing assignment. The folders keep the kids organized and save me time.

when the students are eating their breakfast (in the room) and completing their morning work I call them to my desk and check off whether or not they completed or at least attempted their homework. This way, I know first thing in the morning; however, it could be done anytime throughout the day. This is very much like one of the PPs.

I teach 6th grade in a team situation. So for me, sometimes I see a student only during that particular period.

Students put their work on my front table. After attendance, I have everyone stand up. I call their names off from the pile of papers. Whoever is left standing, owes me a paper. Their name and assignment then go on the board, more of as a reminder than anything else. I also use check-off lists and some of the other strategies mentioned.

I do a mixture of some of the other ideas. I have a list of my kids that I use for many different things. There are two to a sheet and I make lots of copies. I never collect work until the day after I assign it. So, throughout the day I give the kids assignments to do, and whatever they don't finish is homework. In the morning, I have file folders out with a class list paperclipped to each folder and the name of the assignment on the class list at the top. When the kids come in to class in the morning, they put their assignments in the correct folder and check off their name. I also assign my kids numbers, so they hand them in in number order. That way, I can easily flip through and see if anyone is missing, since that number won't be there. Then I keep track on my white board of who is missing what. They have to come in at recess to work until their name is off the board. The only bad part about that is their recess time is my lunch time, but I have also done where they have to take their work out to recess to do.

This works for me. I have the kids keep their homeowork on their desk as they are doing their morning work. I go around and see at at glance what is missing. A quick chat and a short check list later, I know who needs what. When I am done checking them in, they go put the papers in the homework basket. It's been the quickest system I could come up with that really works for me.

Each of my kids has a "catch-up" file (a manilla folder inside of a carboard banker's box). This is where they put their unfinished work. On Thursday afternoons, whoever has work in this file stays in for "study hall" while the rest of us go out for recess. Whatever is not done after that, is sent home with a "unable to complete" slip (to be done for homework).

Like Teachtoscrap, I keep copies of the list of students in my class (see attachment), so I (or a student) can easily and quickly check off who turned in what. My students love to help with this. I keep the list attached to the stack of papers. If I'm not near my computer to enter grades, I can put the grade on the checklist too to put in the electronic grade book later.

Rick Morris wrote a book called New Management that has lots of fantastic techniques for reducing the time we spend on these kinds of things. I use many of his ideas in my classroom.